SSBS - SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS SUNDAY ~The Pine Tavern~ www.facebook.com/feedthebeast2021 www.instagram.com/feedthebeast2021 "The Beast" is one with a huge heart. With the unrealistic restrictions placed on restaurants, "The Beast" feels it is extremely important when it is time for his feeding to support these independently owned restaurants that are doing everything to survive. I was summoned by "The Beast", so I picked up two of my favorite women in the world and off we went. The spot on the agenda was The Pine Tavern located at 151 Route 34, Old Bridge New Jersey. I had lived in Old Bridge for 10 years. My children and I would go here frequently prior to moving away. The Pine Tavern is located twenty minutes over the Outerbridge from Staten Island. About a year ago they went through a complete overhaul. The tavern now has an open concept with a square bar in the center for people to gather around. If not for the restrictions, this would be a great bar to "Pony" up to and talk with other patrons. Hopefully soon this will be reality. The menu consists of a variety of continental cuisine, including several types of salads, pastas and seafood. The Pine Tavern is known for and takes great pride in their "Grilled Meat" and "Parrilladas". For those not in the know, Parrilladas is a cuisine that originates from Argentina. It is a meal of grilled or barbequed mixed meat. The Pine Tavern also offers two seafood options of their Parrilladas. You can order the Parrilladas for one or two people. On Sundays, their menu mainly consists of entrees and their "Tavern Burger". However, during the week they have a lunch menu at a very reasonable price, featuring a variety of sandwiches. If you are on a lunch break from work, they will serve you promptly and you can get back to your day. Additionally, they are available for parties and catering. The staff was extremely accommodating, and the meal exceeded expectations. The chorizo appetizer had flavors that you were reminiscent of a fajita. The "Tavern Burger" was served on an English muffin and cooked at the right temperature. It was clear that the sauce for the penne and vodka sauce was homemade and the pasta was served Al dente. Then there was the "Frenched pork chop". The pork was tender and as you cut through it, the juices were dripping onto the plate. The taste of the char elevated the dish, adding flavor without it being overbearing. It was a great afternoon and "The Beast" was pleased, returning to his slumber. #sundayfunday #foodblogger #diningout #matawannj #oldbridge #foodporn #eating #food #foodblog #lunch #meat #tavern #bar read more

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Food was great amazing ambiance we had For the circumstantial very well presentation Waiter. Very attentive, and friendly, great experience. read more

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Had lunch here yesterday for the first time. I wanted something light, so I ordered their lemon chicken salad and found it to be the perfect selection. It was just enough to satisfy my appetite without making me feel it for the remainder of the day. I was very happy. My only complaint about the salad - and this is probably a matter of personal preference - is that it was just greens with grilled chicken placed on top of the greens. I always prefer my salads mixed together rather than having the protein just sitting on top of a field of green. But again, this is probably just a personal preference of mine - so I'm just telling you so that you know. The wait staff was wonderful and friendly and the menu had many different selections to choose to from. Everything from a Chicken Parmesan to the aforementioned lemon chicken salad. They also have a full bar. If I lived in the area - which I don't - I would definitely give the Pine Tavern another visit. I think you'll be happy if you do. read more

Happy to see an Old Bridge classic redone. While they no longer have my favorite dish (pecan crusted chicken), the new menu has several delicious options. The ambiance is loud and fun, the menu eclectic, and everything we had was good. We will be back to enjoy more options! read more

We met some friends for lunch. They have a good selection and didn't rush us. We have t been here in a while, they moved the bar and added outdoor seating. read more

My wife and I ate dinner here last night. I've eaten here several times before, a couple of times recently. A while ago I would have given 3 stars, but the food and service has improved immensely in recent days. It's a quiet holiday weekend, so we were seated immediately. Our server Melanie was excellent. She helped me decide on the seafood stew, which I believe I had ages and ages ago. Absolutely incredible. They serve it with yellow rice, which I dumped into the metal bowl, removed the shells, and dug in. Nice chunks of fish, plentiful shrimp, mussels, clams, tender calamari, etc. They do not give out free bread, many restaurants are saving a little money this way so I ordered the garlic bread for $2.50 so I would have something to dip into the well spiced broth. The bread was done perfectly, well buttered, crisp and garlicky. My wife had the grilled salmon with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans, with a side salad, and she couldn't stop raving about how great everything was. She's a dressing junky, so the raspberry vinaigrette made her evening. I was worried about the portion size but I wound up taking almost half the stew home. My wife also left a huge hunk of salmon for me to eat today! I recently had the salmon pan seared and I almost got it again but I'm glad I listened to the server after I mentioned the stew. We'll be returning soon. read more

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Dinner on a Friday night with 1 other couple...First time for all of us... had a very short wait, so we grabbed a drink at the bar...2 of the bartenders asked us if we needed menus, of course we declined as we were waiting for our table. Table is ready, we sit- immediately the most friendliest waitress comes over, I wish I could pronounce her name- such a lovely woman. Our drinks ome immediately. Ordered apps- SWEDISH MEATBALS, EMPANADAS, and I forget the name of the other app- but it was garlic bread w/ cheese, ricotta, tomato and prosciutto. I was full before we ordered. The food was seriously out of this world! Waitress continued to check on us. She answered all of our questions about the menu, and even suggested a few things. We ordered GRILLED PORKCHOP AND PARADILLA WHICH IS SLOW COOKED PORK RIBS in this amazing sauce over onions. It came on this big warming grill, still lit up! Gigantic portion! A taste I've never had before! It was amazing! We were all looking at each other commenting how delicious everything was! Ordered CREME W/ CARAMEL it was kind of like a flan but more hearty. It had beautiful fresh blueberries and strawberries and fresh cream! Delectable!!! Drinks were on point as well. The ladies had Margaritas. Can't wait to visit again! The bill was only $215 for all of that food w/ drinks and dessert for 4 people! Unreal. The woman at the front desk was extremely polite! Thank you for an awesome experience! read more

I had heard how good this place was before its renovation so I had to see for myself. It was brought to my attention that there were significant changes to the menu but I can only speak to tonights experience recently after it's reopening. The biggest problem I had was with the service. I do understand that it was very busy and that the wait staff is pretty new but having my waiter ask me two time if I'd like a refill on my drink then forgetting both times, was bad enough. Back to the food, I had ordered the skirt steak cowboy which comes with a horseradish cream and bacon with a side of sautéed Spinach. As tasty as the skirt steak usually is, this was nothing to write home about. It's not my favorite cut and really the only option. I had heard that previously they had more meat selections (pork was the only other option) but I was in the mood for some beef. The wait between the time we were were seated and someone came over was a good 15-20 minutes. At the end of the meal, our waiter could not calculate our check. Granted, the bill was being split two ways but besides the fact that it took so long for him to figure it out, we were about ready to leave since he never took our credit card. My experience here was pretty dismal but I'll give it another shot because I understand the wait staff is new and they were probably overwhelmed but next time may be the last if thIs place doesn't get on the stick. read more

Food is consistently excellent evrytime, whether you go for lunch or dinner. Lunch is very reasonably priced (as long as you can resist a drink) dinner is pretty pricy however, and very hard to get a seat unless you time it right at the bar or have a reservation. Ambiance is really nice especially since they recently re did the whole inside. In regards to service, I've had good waiters and waitresses and bad ones so it really depends on who you get. There was one time I came in around 6 on a Friday night with my fiance and it was packed. I asked how long the wait was and she hostess in the rudest way possible was like, "oh were booked for the night". I guess they can get away with treating people like shut at times when their getting more than enough business lol. But I've still been there many times since and it's been great. I go more for lunch than dinner read more

Anyone leaving anything other than 4-5 stars is a liar. This has been our go to date night spot for almost a decade. The food is always perfect. The best skirt steak around. read more

Food very good. A little pricey but good. Very loud can barely have a conversation at the table. read more

The food here was excellent. Appetizers, meals, desserts. The wait staff was friendly and accommodating. Would definitely go back.

this has become one of our favorite go-to spots! we started ordering take-out from here during the pandemic. the food is packed well and they have never made a mistake... and always on time... good prices and large servings! our faves so far have been the grilled octopus, skirt steaks, and paella! would love to try different things in the future. we've been loyal to the pine tavern and will continue to do so! update: just tried the creamy spaghettini... blackened scallops served on spaghetti with a creamy lemon sauce. absolutely delicious!!!! read more

The Pine Tavern - top to bottom: kid's pasta, parillada del rey, paella marinera, penne vodka w/chicken, chorizo, seafood salad - Steakhouses Near Me - Old Bridge, New Jersey

Food is great along with the hostess and most of the waiting staff. Only downfall is the waiting for service at bar when they get busy on weekends. Been there quiet a few times and seems like bartenders needs a lot more help than they get. I have waited to get a drink for at least 10 minutes last few times I stopped in. Over all I give the food and service a +8 and the bar a 3. read more

So disappointed with this place. We ordered from there to celebrate Valentine's Day and our anniversary. We ordered paella valenciana to go and they gave us someone's else's left overs. If I could give them no stars I would. Never again. The sad part is that our day was ruined and the manager wants to sit there and argue with us that this is what we ordered. read more

The Pine Tavern - This is supposed to be paella valenciana with no rice. - Steakhouses Near Me - Old Bridge, New Jersey

If your into creamed soups... this is the place to go. I've come here on several occasions and have tried their cream of spinach- a life changing cup, cream of mushroom- absolutely delicious, and yesterday their cream of roasted red pepper soup- absolutely stunning. The flavor packed in that little soup blew me away! My fiancé wanted to get their burger and I'm not the biggest fan of an English muffin, but it was a really good touch. Quite balancing for the juiciness of the burger. We also got their chicken Parmesan sub with vodka sauce, which I really dug into. I've also tried their tacos, and a few of their chicken dishes... and they are so good! Great specials for those saving a few bucks, and nicely shaken cocktails. My fiancé has been coming here for years and absolutely loves it here, and I can't help but agree! read more

The Pine Tavern - Chicken Parmesan with vodka sauce - Steakhouses Near Me - Old Bridge, New Jersey

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It's a nice place, good vibe. They have good beer selections and a decent menu. Most dishes are a tad overpriced for what they serve but there are some gems. If you like fajitas then indefinitely recommend them here. A good portion of freshly cooked meats and served on a sizzling plate. This is definitely not a chain restaurant type of platter. The other dishes are good but portion to price is below average and what they charge for ala carts sides is comical for what you get. Be careful of sauté options as the ones we had that night were swimming in sauce which became rather off putting as it was a bit too much. Overall the food tasted good and was served rather quickly but the restaurant doesn't stand out as a "go to" place. Merely just a place you go to once in a while. read more

Service was lovely, food was ok, nothing specials, skirt steak was very good, octopus good. Very oily, it's baked in oil. Pasta with see good, sorry to say was tasteless, over all my family enjoyed it read more

I love this place! Their food is always fresh and delicious. We've gotten appetizers, salads, burgers and steaks and every meal was great.

Food, service excellent Delicious variety. Generous portions. Nice ambiance. Reservations recommended

We have gone to the Pine Tavern for years and hard to believe it keeps getting better. The steaks and chops were amazing. The service was great and they are on my top as the best restaurant in New Jersey. read more

Come hungry and ready to enjoy some exceptionally prepared dishes with attentive service. From the cocktail list which offers some creative twists on traditional favorites to the menu that provides in great detail the creations of the chef there is something exciting for every palate. The broth from the Mussels alone with their garlic bread was a delicious and impressive starter. Cheryll enjoyed a perfectly prepared skirt steak while I indulged in the lamb chops. Even the desert made on site was the perfect end to our incredible meal. Can't wait to return...highly suggest that you try this spot. read more

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The Pine Tavern has a fun bar and diverse menu with enjoyable inside or outside dining. We will be back again.

Great food and good prices. We will definitely go again. The service was great. There is also outside seating. read more

The Pine Tavern - Fajitas with skirt steak, chicken, shrimp sauteed with peppers ,onions and tomatoes served with avocado, shredded cheese and sour cream. - Steakhouses Near Me - Old Bridge, New Jersey

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Great food good service, my inlaws love it there. Being kid-friendly is always a win.

This place was crowded but parties were separated. The staff wear masks and sanitizer is available. While waiting for a table we went to the bar for a drink. All was good until one of our party asked about their wines. The bartender was not all that familiar with the selections and wasn't that helpful, but had a moscato that was asked for (there is an extensive drink menu which does have wines so we recommend the bartender gets familiarized with them). We ordered a few appetizers. Chips and guacamole and ginger scallion pork. A nice amount of guacamole came and the ginger scallion was delicious. This was followed by our main courses of pappardelle al pesto (with shrimp in a pesto cream sauce), chicken marsala and skirt steak pine tavern style ( with sauteed mushrooms and shrimp). There was plenty to eat and all was delicious. The food made up for the disappointing bartender, which changed my overall rating. Definitely worth another try for the food alone. read more

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Atmosphere is friendly. The food is delicious. It's a nice local place to have dinner.

This place is packed every weekend and we finally got a chance to dine here the other day! They're known for their skirt steaks, but everything we ordered was delicious. Four stars, only because I don't believe there's a way to make reservations. read more

Been here twice. The first time was average; no complaints. The second time we ordered one of their parilladas for 2. We were served a giant sizzling pan on a sterno. The mixed meats were so delicious and more than enough for 2- we brought home a container large enough to get another two dinners out of it. The homemade sauces were great too. There are a handful of beers on tap and servers are nice. Can't wait to go back for another parillada. read more

This place was amazing!! I ordered the Parrillada Del Rey and am still thinking about it the next day! The seafood was so fresh and delicious!! Can't wait to go back!! read more

The Pine Tavern - Parrillada Del Rey...so good!! - Steakhouses Near Me - Old Bridge, New Jersey

I've been here a few times and it's alway been ok. Not bad, not great, ok. Tonight after having apps and drinks I ordered a pork dish to go. Got home and see that they gave me instant mashed potatoes. Come on now. No excuse and just plain lazy for any chef for any restaurant. The pork dish, not bad.. read more

My wife and I dined here for the first time on a Friday evening around 5:00. We did not have a reservation and had to wait for about 10 minutes for a table. The place appears clean and modern. The tables are very close together and the atmosphere is very loud. We started with the manchego cheese platter appetizer. I decided to try out the house burger. My wife ordered a Cesar salad and a cup of chicken vegetable soup. She had asked for the dressing on the side and for them to come out together when my burger was ready. While we were waiting for our appetizer, a food runner dropped a tray of food behind my wife. The food sprayed all over the back of my wife's jacket and on her jeans. No one apologized or even offered her a towel to clean up the mess. Our appetizer arrived and it was delicious. It was manchego cheese served with honey, fig and garlic toast. About three minutes after the appetizer was dropped at the table, someone dropped off my wife's soup and scurried away. The waiter was nowhere in sight, so she decided to eat the soup rather than complain that she wanted it with my entree, and she enjoyed it. We waited about 35 minutes before our main courses arrived. I understand it was busy, but we were waiting for a medium burger and a Ceasar salad. The wait seemed excessive and our waiter never checked in with us. Finally, they arrived, delivered by a food runner. The salad arrived doused in dressing (she had asked for it on the side). The server did not come by to check on us, so she decided just to eat it. My burger was topped with cheddar cheese and sauteed onions. The burger was dry and tasted unseasoned. It was served on an English muffin. Overall, the burger was disappointing because it lacked flavor, there were very few sauteed onions and the cheddar was indistinguishable. By the time our server came back, we were both 3/4 through our meal and just wanted to leave due to the extremely loud and tight atmosphere. We will probably never return here again. The poor service, loud atmosphere, and mediocre food left us with a bad first impression. Even more disappointing was that no manager ever stopped by to check on how things were, even after a tray of food smashed and splattered on my wife. read more

You don't have to sacrifice quality over quantity here. The food is absolutely delicious, the service is outstanding. Such a nice cozy environment for a top of the line meal. The choices are so hard knowing the quality and effort put into every dish. The drinks!! Let's not forget the unforgettable sangrias or other specialties available. Always an other worldly experience!!! read more

this place is a hellhole. went three times and i hate it with a passion, do not recommend, awful food, just awful read more

1st time here in 2 years. The remodel they did inside is incredible. The food was outstanding and the service was excellent. Highly recommend you try it you will love it. read more

My husband and I decided to have a date night and I'm glad we did. Great food! I got the parrillada marisco and my husband got the parrillada patron. It was amazing and it was a lot of food. So glad we decided to finally go out. We are definitely coming back again. read more

The Pine Tavern - parrillada marisco and parrillada patron - Steakhouses Near Me - Old Bridge, New Jersey

We had burgers and chicken Caesar salad! Both exceptional! Very attentive waitress also! Would highly recommend ! read more

The Pine Tavern - Steakhouses Near Me - Old Bridge, New Jersey

The pork chop was good and service even better. Would definitely be back to try off menu items. Saw the next table order parillada which was not on the menu. read more

Party of 8 cousins went out for birthday dinner. As soon as food arrived a bug came crawling up the wall. Server came and said not unusual since bug sprayer came today. Happens all the time. Bug disappeared and came out short time later. Servers did nothing about it. Most uncomfortable situation ever watching for a new bug to appear. Management handled situation very poorly. We will NEVER return again nor recommend to anyone!!!! read more

Went there on Sunday with my 9 year old granddaughter, she wanted to go there. A Giants football game was playing. We get seated next to the bar and shortly thereafter a woman at the bar lets out a blood curdling scream, I though someone was being murdered. Oh well, a drunk football fan. However, operate the place as a bar or a restaurant, not a hybrid as the diners can't eat in peace. Time to order , , I see there is no fish and chips entree, but the waitress says I can order fried fish and seperately order fries, great. There were a number of types of fish available and a number of cooking methods. I order breaded fried cod and fries. Waitress takes the order and leaves. So a young man brings out the food and says, here is your filet of sole. I said, I didn't order filet of sole , I ordered cod. He says we do not have cod. He says didn't the waitress tell yo that, I say no, he says well we don't have cod, and you don't have to eat the filet of sole. I say I can live with the filet. Then it gets weird, as there must have been a backroom discussion about this. The waitress returns and she says she told me there was no cod and I agreed to filet of sole. I promptly told her I did not have a 5 minute stroke because that discussion never took place, and I never order filet of sole. Ok, I don't make big deal about it. While eating , the hostess comes over and asks if everything is OK, again, must have been a backroom discussion. I say everything is fine. We leave and I ask my granddaughter if the waitress told me there was no cod and she says no. The waitress placed my order and never returned to the table until after the food was brought out by the young man. Look, I understand a busy waitress can make a mistake, but own up to it, don't fabricate a story about me agreeing to a dish I would never order. This left a bad taste in my mouth, but the filet of sole was pretty good. I have eaten there before without incident, but I doubt I will go back. read more